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10 Core Tips for Boosting Efficiency in Claude Code

10 Core Tips for Boosting Efficiency in Claude Code

By Pixel Li · February 7, 2026

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10 Core Tips for Improving Efficiency in Claude Code

Claude Code is a powerful CLI tool released by Anthropic. After using it extensively, I’ve summarized the following 10 core tips that can significantly speed up your work.

1. Switch between run modes easily

Press shift + tab to quickly switch between three modes:

  • Default mode (? for shortcuts): The most cautious; asks you before modifying files.
  • Auto mode (accept edits on): Modifies files automatically, good for quick fixes.
  • Plan mode (plan mode on): Only discusses the plan and doesn’t modify files, good for early-stage planning.

2. Terminal commands and background tasks

  • Before you enter a prompt, type ! to run a local shell command directly.
  • Use ⌃ + b to send an already running task (such as npm run dev) to the background while you continue talking to Claude.
  • Type /tasks to view background tasks; once inside, press k to close the selected task.

3. Multi-line prompt editing

If you need to type a long, complex prompt, press ⌃ + g to open a temporary file in VS Code for editing; when you save, it syncs back to the terminal automatically.

4. Sudo mode, fully unleashed

If you’re confident in your system’s security and want maximum efficiency, you can use: claude --dangerously-skip-permissions In this mode, Claude no longer asks before creating or modifying files or running commands. Very powerful, but use it with care.

5. Graceful rollback and management

Claude Code can’t roll back perfectly (for example, newly created files can’t be undone), so I recommend using it together with Git.

  • /rewind: Undo the last action.
  • Press esc twice: Enter interactive rollback selection mode.

6. A small trick for uploading images

  • Simply drag and drop the image file into the terminal window.
  • On macOS, even images copied with command + c have to be pasted into the terminal with ctrl + v.

7. Resuming sessions

  • Inside Claude Code: /resume.
  • From outside Claude Code, go straight back into the last session: claude -c.

8. Context compression and cleanup

When the context gets too long and responses slow down or token usage gets too high:

  • /compact [optional description]: Compress the current context. Afterwards, press ⌃ + o to view the compressed result.
  • /clear: Completely clear the current session context.

9. Build system-level memory

With the /init command, Claude creates a CLAUDE.md file in the current directory. The instructions and project rules in this file are read automatically each time a conversation starts.

10. Managing your personal preferences (/memory)

Type /memory to set:

  • Project memory: For the current project (saved in ./CLAUDE.md).
  • User memory: Applies globally (saved in ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md), a good place for your personal coding habits and background.

I hope these tips help you get a better handle on Claude Code and add a little sunshine to your development life.

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